


Sweeter (Thnks fr th Mmrs)

by CC99trialanderrorgirl



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Based on a Fall Out Boy Song, Fall Out Boy References, Homophobia, M/M, Past Rachel Edwards/Danny "Danno" Williams, Rachel is a Bitch, Serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 04:50:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12101097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CC99trialanderrorgirl/pseuds/CC99trialanderrorgirl
Summary: Steve is cuddly, Rachel is awful, and Danny blurts something out that he hadn't exactly meant to say.





	Sweeter (Thnks fr th Mmrs)

Danny pads down the stairs in silence. Steve was fast asleep when the banging started; he still is, bless him, completely knocked out by their marathon session from earlier. As he makes his way down the stairs in the dark, he knows with a sickly sense of certainty who will be standing on the other side of the door. The sinking feeling in his gut tells him long before he opens the door, clad in nothing but a pair of loose plaid pajama pants, barefoot and messy-haired. And of course, _of course_ , Rachel looks impeccable: four-inch patent leather pointed toe heels, a well-appointed navy blue sheath dress, and a double layer of pearls around her throat. There are matching pearls at each earlobe, and her hair is done up in some sort of severe, fiscally responsible bun. Her face, though, her face is tight and red and full of fury _._

“Daniel,” she whisper-hisses, and he never even got to greet her, didn’t even get to say, “Rachel,” in that flat tone he uses with her these days, or ask her what she’s doing here, at this hour of the night. This is _Steve’s_ house, for God’s sake.

“ _Daniel,_ ” she hisses again, like once wasn’t enough, and despite everything they’ve been through these last few years, Danny is still taken aback by how caustic her tone is, by how much venom she can infuse into the syllables of his name.

“ _How could you?”_ she asks, then, picking up steam, continues to whisper-yell at him in the middle of Steve’s front doorway at what must be close to two o’clock in the morning. “Are you out of your _mind?!_ Have you completely taken leave of your senses? Because I can’t think of any other reason why- _”_

And that tells him everything he needs to know, the way she cuts herself off, bites her lip as if she’s trying to hold something else back, something truly terrible that she knows she shouldn’t say, but, if Danny knows her at all, she’ll say it anyway- “Why _you_ and that- that _man_ \- are- are-“

Rachel seems to be spluttering, but not out of embarrassment or shame that she’s crossed a line. In fact, she shows no signs of realizing that at all. Instead, she just looks furious, disgusted, and – and okay, yeah, Danny thinks, things are going to get ugly. Because Rachel can say whatever she wants about him, she has the right to, but Steve, _him and Steve_ , no. Hell, no. Steve is too precious and what they have is too real for him to take this lying down. He levels a look at her, doesn’t even blink, and slowly steps forward, calmly and gently closing the door behind him. Rachel has the good sense to look afraid for a moment, before her face contorts back into something filled with….well, _hate_. Danny has no other word for it. He wishes he did. He wishes the mother of his child wasn’t like this, wasn’t _capable_ of this, but she is and he will stand his ground, defend the little family he’s found with Steve and Five-O and – _of_ _course_ – Gracie.

“Rachel,” he starts, voice deceptively calm, and he knows he should be worried, knows that the calmer the tone in his voice, the more angry he is on the inside. Rachel knows this, too. She was married to him. She knows what that tone means, what the steely glint in his eyes implies – that she crossed a line, went after someone Danny truly _loves_ , and she knows damn well that Danny Williams is fiercely loyal and protective of his own. But Danny knows her, too. And he knows that the look on her face isn’t the expression of a Rachel who has realized her mistake. No, it’s the expression of a Rachel who is committed to this course of action, is aware the confrontation to come, and is determined to see it through. So they have words.

First, their argument is restricted to fierce whispers and accusations, mostly in the past, but then Rachel breaks their code of silent warfare; her voice starts to gain in volume until she’s full-on shouting, cursing like a sailor instead of the well-bred Englishwoman she takes such care to ensure that the world sees her as, and makes one final, fatal mistake: _She uses Steve’s name._

And Danny _loses_ it.

Soon they’re both screaming at the top of their lungs, gesturing wildly, and, Danny is sure, waking the neighbors. He’s pretty sure someone is going to call the cops, if they haven’t already. And Steve, well, Steve’s going to wake up with this racket going on, sex-stupor or not. And Danny does _not_ want him to hear this, does not want Steve to see him like this, does not want the love of his life even breathing the same air as this woman who is so filled with hate that Danny can hardly believe it.

She’s screeching, now, about something sex-related, about how Danny could ever choose a “ _man like that”_ over _her,_ and _"isn't it disgusting?"_ and Danny can’t help it, it just slips out.

“He tastes like you - only _SWEETER_!” he bellows.

The words echo, loud and damning in the silence that follows, and Danny knows, he just _knows_ that Steve has opened the door, is standing right behind him, mouth open and cheeks red.

And Danny _hates_ Rachel in that moment, he truly does.

“Babe,” he says, without turning around, keeping his hardened gaze on Rachel, forcing eye contact, forcing her to look at him the whole time. “Go back inside. I got this.” And because their relationship is built on the loving trust of a true partnership, Steve just grasps Danny on the shoulder once, turns around, and goes back inside without a word. The door snicks closed behind him, but Danny knows Steve is standing stock-still on the other side, waiting patiently like he was asked, but also on high alert in case Danny needs him.

“Rachel,” Danny speaks slowly, every word infused with the damning weight of true conviction, “Rachel, I do not want to hear you speaking like that ever again. Not to me, not to Steve, and _never, ever, ever_ to Grace. Do you hear me? _Do_ _you_?”

She nods once, all the fight gone out of her, but he can still see that hate burning in her eyes. The words she wants to call him – ugly words, derogatory and cruel. But she holds her tongue, turns on her heels and walks down the steps. Then, when she’s almost at the bottom of the drive, less than ten paces from her car, she turns around and says, “Danny, I do wish you weren’t going to hell. Stan and I will be moving to the mainland. L.A. We leave tomorrow. Please bring Grace by to say good-bye.”

Danny nods once – he would never deny her the chance to hug her daughter good-bye, no matter how much he hates her. Grace still believes the best of her mother, holds out a crazy hope that someday she’ll come around. But Danny knows she won’t. It breaks his heart. But what he said was true – Steve, and this new life he has, it _is_ sweeter – in more ways than one.

_Epilogue-_

Danny closes his eyes, counts to ten, and turns his back on Rachel’s Mercedes, grasping the handle on the door and stepping through it, closing it behind him, shutting her out. Steve is waiting there for him, arms warm and welcoming. Danny tucks his face into Steve’s chest, and Steve rests his chin on Danny’s head. They stay like that for a long time, a simple embrace of healing and reassurance.

“I’m glad we’re together,” Steve says, and Danny just smiles his come-here-you-goof grin and kisses him full on the mouth. When they pull away, breaths coming a little shorter and faster than they had before, Steve starts up the stairs, but pauses on the landing and turns back before Danny can follow.

“Hey,” he says, tone dripping with false nonchalance. “Do I really taste sweeter?” He smirks, obnoxious and adorable, and Danny shoos him up the stairs, giving chase and swatting at Steve’s behind as they go.

The next day in the car, Steve casually flips the stereo on, and suddenly Fall Out Boy is blaring. Steve grins, but Danny just laughs. He’s so happy. Thankful for the old memories with Rachel, though they aren’t so good and some are downright terrible, but grateful because they brought him Grace, led him to Steve. And he is insanely thankful for _those_ memories, and all the ones they have yet to make.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I like Rachel in many ways, but for the purposes of this fic, she’s morphed into something truly terrible. (Sorry Rachel.)


End file.
